Hillary Clinton's accusations about Donald Trump's campaign being based on fear and hatred show she's "somewhat desperate" as her campaign faces "pay-to-play" accusations in connection with donors to the Clinton Foundation, Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer said Friday, but he refused to go along with Trump's assessment that she is "a bigot."
"This is a changed election," Spicer said in an often-heated interview with MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle. "I know they are scared because the foundation and their scandals continue to pile up and they know that's not the message the American people want."
And as a response, Spicer said, Clinton went on the attack against Trump in a Reno, Nevada speech on Thursday, again in an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program on Friday, and through an ad linking white supremacists with the Trump campaign.
"I think the video was unbelievably over the top," said Spicer. "I could equally have walked through Philadelphia during the DNC [Democratic National Convention] and found people that had crazy ideas and done the same thing and made them answer for it."
Spicer, though, said he does not agree with Trump's blunt statement this week calling Clinton "a bigot" who is only concerned in attracting minority votes.
"I think some of the policies she supported have not helped African-Americans, but I think anybody who knows me, I don't tend to use certain words," Spicer said. "That's not something I might certainly say, no."
As far as Trump is concerned, Spicer said he believes he looked over the policies Clinton has championed in respect to the African-American community and decided on that line of attack.
"I personally believe Donald Trump offers a vision for this country," said Spicer. "You know what you're getting. She is a C-level player. You know that it's going to be the status quo. I think Trump offers America a better vision."
Spicer also addressed speculation that Trump may be softening his stance on undocumented immigrants, saying that the GOP nominee still plans to make border security the "first and foremost thing."
"We have to be fair, firm and humane," said Spicer. "We have 11 million people in this country not legally. Number one, we have to look at the criminals that are here, make sure that's the number one priority.
"Second, people who deal with Visa overstays or whatever they need to move. He recognizes the depth of this and isn't going to do it in a sound bite. He will let a comprehensive plan to do that."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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